Indian Plans:  New Delhi Considers U.S. Joint Defense System

India is interested in cooperating with the United States to develop its own missile defense system, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported yesterday (see GSN, May 16).

“We would be interested in setting up a missile defense system and have agreed to cooperate with the U.S. in missile defense systems,” a top-ranking source within the Indian Defense Ministry said, according to the New Delhi Hindu newspaper, IRNA reported.

India is interested in developing a missile defense system that would be able to destroy ballistic missiles before they are launched, according to Indian officials.  Because a missile launched from within South Asia could hit Indian targets in less than five minutes, India would need to link its own radar system to a U.S. global surveillance system to receive real-time data, according to analysts.

India and the United States have agreed to hold discussions on joint cooperation to help counter threats from Pakistan, according to IRNA (see GSN, May 28).  Indian officials have already received information on U.S. missile defense system designs undergoing tests, and an Indian team has visited a U.S. simulation center, IRNA reported.  India has also been invited to witness the next round of U.S. missile defense tests, according to IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency, June 3).

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